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How to add a voice over to Adobe Premiere Pro: A tutorial

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Learn how to add a voice over to Adobe Premiere Pro and explore how you can enhance your videos with a game-changing voice over alternative.

How to add a voice over to Adobe Premiere Pro: A tutorial for beginners

Adobe Premiere Pro is a powerful video editing software that provides a wide range of features and tools for creating professional-looking videos. One essential aspect of video production is adding a voice over, which can greatly enhance the storytelling and engagement of your content. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of adding a voice over to your video using Adobe Premiere Pro.

Adobe Premiere Pro overview

Adobe Premiere Pro is a leading video editing software that is widely used in the industry. It offers a comprehensive set of tools and features to help you edit your videos with ease and precision. From basic trimming and cutting to advanced effects and transitions, Premiere Pro provides a flexible and intuitive workspace for all levels of video editing expertise.

Adobe Premiere Pro key features

Adobe Premiere Pro comes with a variety of key features that make it a favorite among video editors. These features include:

  • Video editing — Premiere Pro allows you to import, arrange, and edit video clips on the timeline. You can trim, cut, and adjust the duration of video clips to create a seamless flow.
  • Audio editing — In addition to video editing, Premiere Pro provides robust audio editing capabilities. You can edit audio files, adjust audio levels, remove background noise, and apply audio effects to enhance the overall sound quality.
  • Transitions and effects — Premiere Pro offers a wide range of transitions and effects to add visual interest and creativity to your videos. You can choose from various built-in presets or customize the effects to match your unique style.
  • Integration with Adobe After Effects — Premiere Pro seamlessly integrates with Adobe After Effects, allowing you to incorporate complex visual effects and motion graphics into your videos.
  • Workspace customization — You can customize the layout and appearance of the Premiere Pro workspace to suit your preferences and optimize your workflow.

How to record a voice over with Adobe Premiere Pro

To record audio directly within Adobe Premiere Pro, follow these steps:

  1. Prepare your audio hardware — Ensure that your microphone is properly connected to your computer and set as the default input device. Adjust the audio levels to avoid distortion or background noise.
  2. Import video and audio files — Import the video clip you want to add the voice over to, as well as any additional audio files such as background music or sound effects. Right-click on the Project panel and select "Import" to import the files.
  3. Create a new sequence — Right-click on the video clip in the Project panel and select "New Sequence from Clip." This will create a new sequence that matches the settings of your video clip.
  4. Add the video clip to the timeline — Drag and drop the video clip from the Project panel to the timeline. It will appear as a new track in the timeline.
  5. Enable the Audio Track Mixer — Go to the Window menu and select "Audio Track Mixer." This will open the Audio Track Mixer panel, where you can adjust the audio settings for your voice over.
  6. Configure voice over record settings — In the Audio Track Mixer panel, click on the "Record Enable" button for the desired audio track. Adjust the input levels using the sliders and choose mono or stereo recording mode.
  7. Record the voice over — Place the playhead at the desired starting point on the timeline. Click on the "Record” button in the Audio Track Mixer panel and start speaking your voice over. Press the spacebar or click the "Stop Recording" button to stop recording.
  8. Edit the voice over — Once you have finished recording, you can edit the voice over using the various editing tools.

How to edit a voice over in Adobe Premiere Pro

After recording your voice over, it's time to fine-tune and polish it using Adobe Premiere Pro's editing tools. Here's how you can edit a voice over in Adobe Premiere Pro:

Trimming and cutting

To remove any unwanted parts or mistakes from your voice over, position the playhead at the beginning or end of the section you want to remove. Press "I" to set an in-point and "O" to set an out-point. Then, press the "Delete" key to remove the selected section.

Adjusting audio levels

To ensure a balanced audio mix, adjust the volume levels of your voice over and other audio tracks. In the timeline, click on the audio track header to reveal the audio controls. Drag the audio level line up or down to increase or decrease the volume of the voice over.

Removing background noise

If your voice over has unwanted background noise, Premiere Pro offers a powerful tool called "Noise Reduction." Right-click on the voice over audio clip in the timeline, select "Audio Effects," navigate to "Noise Reduction/Restoration," and choose "Noise Reduction (process)." Adjust the settings to reduce the background noise while preserving the clarity of your voice.

Applying audio effects

Premiere Pro provides a variety of audio effects to enhance the quality and character of your voice over. Right-click on the voice over audio clip in the timeline, select "Audio Effects," and explore the available effects such as EQ, reverb, or compression. Experiment with different effects and adjust the settings to achieve the desired sound.

Syncing voice over with video

If you recorded the voice over separately and need to sync it with the corresponding video, Premiere Pro offers a convenient feature called "Merge Clips." Right-click on the voice over audio clip and select "Merge Clips." In the Merge Clips dialog, choose the corresponding video clip and select the synchronization method. Premiere Pro will align the clips based on timecode, audio waveform, or markers.

How to sync a voice over in Adobe Premiere Pro

To sync a voice over with your video clip in Adobe Premiere Pro, follow these steps:

  1. Add the video and voice over to the timeline — Drag and drop the video clip and the voice over audio file from the Project panel to the timeline. They will appear as separate tracks.
  2. Align the clips — Position the playhead at the beginning of the video clip. Listen to the voice over and visually match its timing with the corresponding section in the video. Use the mouse to drag the voice over track left or right to align it accurately.
  3. Adjust clip position — If necessary, you can further adjust the position of the voice over clip by selecting it and using the arrow keys on your keyboard for precise adjustments.
  4. Fine-tune sync: — Play the video and voice over together to ensure they are perfectly synced. If adjustments are needed, repeat the previous step until the sync is seamless.

Additional tips for enhancing voice overs in Adobe Premiere Pro

When it comes to enhancing voice overs in Adobe Premiere Pro, a few extra tips can take your audio quality to the next level, so here are some important considerations when using the program.

Use keyboard shortcuts

Premiere Pro has a range of keyboard shortcuts that can significantly speed up your editing process. Familiarize yourself with commonly used shortcuts such as "I" and "O" for setting in and out points, "Spacebar" for play/pause, and "Ctrl/Cmd + S" for saving your project.

Utilize Adobe Audition integration

Adobe Premiere Pro seamlessly integrates with Adobe Audition, a dedicated audio editing software. If you need more advanced audio editing capabilities, you can right-click on the voice over audio clip in Premiere Pro and select "Edit Clip in Adobe Audition." This will open the clip in Audition, where you can apply more advanced audio effects and fine-tune the sound.

Consider background music

Adding background music to your video can enhance the overall atmosphere and engagement. Premiere Pro provides a wide selection of free music and sound effects through Adobe Stock. You can access these resources by clicking on the "Browse" button in the Essential Sound panel.

Utilize Audio Effects presets

Premiere Pro offers a range of audio effects presets that you can apply to your voice over to achieve specific sound qualities or styles. Experiment with different presets to find the one that best suits your video's mood and narrative.

Optimize audio levels

Ensure that the voice over audio levels are consistent and balanced with the rest of your video's audio. You can use the Audio Track Mixer to adjust the levels of individual tracks and achieve a cohesive audio mix.

Export and share

Once you have finished editing your video and voice over, it's time to export and share your work. Adobe Premiere Pro provides a variety of export options, including popular video formats for social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Select the appropriate export settings and render your video for optimal playback and sharing.

Speechify Voice Over Studio - Unleash the power of AI

When it comes to voice over creation, Speechify Voice Over Studio offers a compelling alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro, particularly in terms of ease of use. By leveraging sophisticated algorithms, Speechify Voice Over Studio can produce natural-sounding AI voices that closely resemble human speech, eliminating the need to record your own voice overs. With over 200+ AI voices to choose from, content creators can find the perfect fit for their projects, whether it's for videos, podcasts, e-learning materials, or other audio content.

Create high-quality and professional voice overs for your projects today by trying Speechify Voice Over Studio.

FAQ

What are the most popular plugins for Adobe Premiere Pro CC?

Some of the most popular plugins for Adobe Premiere Pro CC include Magic Bullet Looks, Trapcode Suite, FilmConvert, Universe, and Red Giant Complete.

What devices are compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro?

Adobe Premiere Pro is compatible with both Windows and macOS operating systems, allowing it to run on a wide range of devices such as desktop computers, laptops, and workstations that meet the minimum system requirements. This includes Apple devices.

How do I add tracks to my Adobe Premiere Pro project?

To add tracks to your Adobe Premiere Pro project, simply right-click in the timeline panel and select "Add Tracks," then specify the desired track type (audio or video) and the number of tracks you want to add.

What is the difference between Adobe Premiere Pro and Audacity?

Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional video editing software designed for advanced video editing and post-production, while Audacity is an open-source audio editing software primarily focused on audio recording, editing, and manipulation.

Does Adobe Premiere Pro have a screen recorder?

No, Adobe Premiere Pro does not have built-in screen recording functionality, but it can import and edit footage recorded using third-party screen recording software or tools.

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.